


Worth the Wait

by GinnyK



Category: The West Wing
Genre: F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2002-11-20
Updated: 2002-11-20
Packaged: 2019-05-31 03:28:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,438
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15110849
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GinnyK/pseuds/GinnyK
Summary: The waiting is over.





	1. Worth the Wait

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

**Worth The Wait**

**by: Ginny**

**Pairing(s):** Josh/Donna  
**Rating:** TEEN  
**Disclaimer:** The usual.  
**Summary:** The waiting is over. Sequel to "One Step at a Time".  
**Feedback:** Greatly appreciated.  


Part 1 

It had been three weeks since Josh and Donna had finally realized what others had known for the past few years. They were still taking things slow. They hadn't made love yet and for some strange reason neither seemed to be in any great hurry as far as that was concerned. They had been able to keep their private lives, well, private. They always made it a point to wake up in their own beds. Though that meant one of them was always driving across town in the wee hours of the morning. 

At work, it was almost as if nothing had changed. They were the same Joshua Lyman, Deputy Chief of Staff and Donnatella Moss, Deputy, Deputy Chief of Staff. They bantered with one another while walking the halls of the West Wing, he still yelled to get her attention, she still ignored him when he yelled, and she still kept his life completely organized. The was only one thing that had changed. Each morning when Josh arrived in his office there was a cup of coffee and a muffin waiting for him. Donna had covered her tracks by saying she lost a bet with him and his prize was coffee service for 3 months. Everybody believed that story. 

Only Sam was aware of their relationship. He was, afterall, Josh's best friend. Plus he had taken Josh out for a few drinks two weeks earlier and after a beer and a half Josh had spilled everything. As far as Josh and Donna knew, nobody else suspected a thing. Little did they know that Leo had some suspicions of his own. He had seen them leave hand in hand on that Saturday afternoon three weeks earlier, only hours before the professed their love to each other. He hadn't actually seen anything else out of the ordinary in the past weeks but he did notice that Josh seemed happier and certainly less frazzled than he had been since the beginning of the year. Leo kept his suspicions to himself, afterall, it wasn't interfering with their work and apparently the rumor mill hadn't picked up on anything yet. For now he chose to give them some time to come to him on their own. 

It was now late on Thursday afternoon of a week that already seemed endless. Josh and the rest of the senior staff were in the Oval Office discussing gun control. Donna always worried about Josh whenever they were meeting about gun control, for obvious reasons. The meeting had been going on since just after lunch. Donna hadn't seen Josh at all since the meeting had started except for a quick glance a minute ago. She had taken a file over to him. He met her at Mrs. Laningham's empty desk and had let his hand linger on hers for a second as she handed him the file. He looked tired and only gave her a weak smile before turning to go back in the Oval Office with the others. 

Donna had wandered slowly back through the bullpen. She didn't like the way he looked at all. He had spent the last few day running on very little food, even less sleep and way too much caffeine. She knew sooner or later he was going to crash. She just wished he would make it until the weekend but she wasn't holding out any great hope of him making it that long. 

She went into his office and sat down at his desk. With a flick of her wrist she opened his appointment book. A full morning of meetings and a lunchtime session with his therapist were on the schedule for Friday. Josh has made progress since starting with the new therapist just after the first of the year. Stanley had recommended Dr. Collins and he and Josh really seemed to work well together. Donna knew Josh would be quiet and a little withdrawn after his session. It was something she was used to and she always tried to do her best to arrange his schedule accordingly. There was nothing but a senior staff meeting and some phone calls on his schedule for the afternoon. She hoped to keep it that way. 

Donna typed and filed for the next hour, keeping one eye scanning the bullpen and the other on her work. Finally at 6:10 she saw Josh coming towards her. His trademark swagger was missing, his shoulders slumped and his brown eyes were dull and lifeless. It was all Donna could do to keep from jumping up and giving him the hug he looked like he so desperately needed. He smiled and patted her shoulder as he went into his office, closing the door behind him. Donna knew him well enough to just let him be for a few minutes. He would call her in when he was ready to talk. She peeked through the blinds and saw him at his desk, hunched over a briefing binder. The phone rang as she was turning back to her own work. She picked it up and cradled it between her chin and shoulder as she resumed her typing. 

"Joshua Lyman's office" 

"Donna, it's Sam. Is Josh back in his office yet?" 

"He just went in. He looks awful, what happened?" 

"Nothing really, I just think all the gun talk gets to him after a while. He was a little quieter than usual. Leo and the President seemed to notice but didn't make a big deal out of it. They know he's doing the best he can. Are you going to be with him tonight. I don't think he should be alone" 

"As far as I know. We'll probably just go to my place. He needs some down time and a good night's sleep. Do you need to talk to him?" 

"No, I'll see him in the morning. Take good care of him." 

"You know I will. See you tomorrow. Bye" 

"Bye" 

Josh had been watching Donna talk on the phone through the window. He called her to come in. She was careful to leave the door open behind her as she walked into his office. She took a seat across the desk from him. 

"Josh, you OK? You look wiped out. Any chance of you getting out of here soon? You need a real meal and some sleep" said Donna leaning her elbows on the desk. 

"I know, is that an offer to cook for me?" he teased as he rubbed his eyes wearily and sighed. 

"Sure is. How about we meet at my place? I'm done here. You finish up. I'm going to go run and pick up some things at the store. Anything in particular you want for dinner?" she asked as she got up to leave. 

"Not really, don't go to any trouble. I'm not that hungry" he muttered as he turned his attention back to the file on the desk. 

"Josh, you need to eat. How about some chicken and baked potatoes?" asked Donna trying to keep the distance between them. 

"Fine, I'll meet you there in about an hour" said Josh as he blew her a kiss. 

"I'm calling your cell phone in 45 minutes. You had better not still be in that chair." teased Donna as she closed the door behind her. 

"I love you" whispered Josh as she left. He spun his chair around and put the brief in his lap. Leaning back in his chair he put his feet on the window sill and tried to concentrate. Four hours of talking about guns had taken a toll on him. All he wanted to go was to go Donna's and let her fuss over him. He sighed as he dropped his head to read the last part of the file. 


	2. Worth the Wait 2

**Worth The Wait**

**by: Ginny**

**Pairing(s):** Josh/Donna  
**Rating:** TEEN  
**Disclaimer:** The usual.  
**Summary:** The waiting is over. Sequel to "One Step at a Time".  
**Feedback:** Greatly appreciated.  


* * *

Part 2 

Almost an hour later Donna got home. She had taken the easy way out and picked up a rotisserie chicken at the food store and had just planned on microwaving the potatoes. She put the food in the kitchen and went into the bedroom to change. 

She emerged a few minutes later dressed in a pair of flannel pants and a Harvard t-shirt of Josh's. She grabbed the phone off the wall and dialed his cell phone number. He answered the phone and let himself in the front door at the same time. 

"Josh, I must say I'm impressed. I was sure you would still be sitting at your desk" she yelled from the kitchen as he dropped his backpack, coat and overnight bag. He walked into the kitchen and gave her a light kiss on the lips. 

"Dinner will be ready in about 20 minutes. There's iced tea in the fridge? You must have left quickly. No last minute emergencies, huh?" 

"I left 5 minutes after you. I wasn't getting anything done anyway. I stopped by my place for a few things." he said as he grabbed a bottle of tea from the fridge and walked in the living room. He kicked off his shoes and stretched out on the couch. 

Donna scrubbed the potatoes and put them into the microwave before joining Josh in the living room. He was sprawled out on her couch. He had his right hand thrown over his eyes and his left was absentmindedly fingering the scar on his chest. She knelt down next to the couch and caressed his cheek. 

"Do you want to talk about it?" 

"No, not really" 

"OK, let me know if you change your mind." 

He reached over and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear with his left hand. She caught his hand and kissed his palm. He closed his eyes and she watched him until the timer on the microwave chimed. She got up to get dinner on the table. 

"Josh, come on. You have to eat" Donna declared from the kitchen. 

He dragged himself off the couch and sat down across the small kitchen table from Donna. He set his feet in her lap and picked at his food for a while. Donna watched him while she ate. She hated the way he withdrew from the world after these gun control meetings. She was glad he had a therapy session the next day. 

"Josh, when was the last time you actually ate, grabbing something while in a meeting doesn't count. Neither does the muffin and coffee you had for breakfast this morning." 

Josh didn't answer, he just shrugged his shoulders and picked up his fork as the phone rang. Donna moved his feet to rise and answer it. It was Leo. She didn't let on to Josh who it was and just took it in the bedroom. 

When she returned to the kitchen Josh had at least eaten something. He was sitting with his elbows on the table and his head in his hands. She crouched next to him and gently rubbed his back. 

"That was Leo" she said. 

"Oh, God. He knows doesn't he?" groaned Josh as he sat up and pushed his chair back from the table. Donna stood and he pulled her into his lap. 

"I think he may suspect something but he didn't come out and ask me if something was going on. He just wanted me to know that he and the President are worried about you. I did tell him you were here. He was worried you were out in some bar abusing that sensitive system of yours. I told him we were working and I was trying to make sure you had one decent meal this week." said Donna as she kissed his forehead and smoothed back his hair. 

"I think I should talk to him tomorrow. I don't want him to hear something from the rumor mill. I at least owe him that much. Is that OK with you?" he asked wrapping his arms around Donna's waist. 

"That's fine. Let me know if you want me to come too" she added as she got up and cleared the table. 

"I will." he sighed as he helped with the dishes. 

"Josh, why don't you go take a long hot shower. You have to relax. You've been running on empty for a few days now and you're about to crash." said Donna as she filled the dish pan with hot water. 

"Fine. Uh, Donna...can I,uh...stay tonight?" stuttered Josh. 

Donna turned to him and looked into those puppy dog eyes. She couldn't say no even if she had wanted to. 

"Of course" she replied as she kissed his cheek. She turned her attention back to the sink as she heard the bathroom door close. She washed the few dishes they had used and sat down to watch TV in the living room. 

After a while she heard Josh go into the bedroom. 

"Donna, I left my bag out there, can you bring it in?" yelled Josh from her bedroom. 

Donna grabbed the bag and took it into her room. He was sitting on her bed with a towel wrapped around his waist. The sight of him made her knees grow weak. She handed him the bag and turned to her dresser and straightened the photos in an attempt to look busy while he changed. Of course, could see his refection in the mirror anyway. 

She turned around when she saw him sit back down on the bed. She picked the towel up off the bed, stood between his knees and dried his hair for him. She finished and took a step back to look at him. He looked utterly adorable, scared, sexy and lost all at the same time. Mostly he just looked lost. Her heart ached for the pain he was obviously in. She wanted to help but knew if she pushed too hard he would shut down even further. She motioned for him to stand up and she pulled back the covers. He crawled into bed wearily. 

She sat next to him and reached out to touch his chest. She was getting used to both the long scar that ran down the length and the smaller one that had been caused by the single bullet that had nearly claimed his life. Tears threatened her eyes and she moved her hand. 

"Josh, uh...never mind. Do you need anything" she asked as she got up to turn out the overhead light. 

"Other than a weeks vacation somewhere far away from DC?" he smirked. "There's a bottle of Tylenol PM in my bag, how about 2 of those, a glass of water and a back rub." 

"I think I can do that." agreed Donna as she went to the bathroom to get some   
water. She handed it to him and dug in the bag for the bottle of Tylenol. She handed him 2 pills. While he took them she opened her nightstand to look for some oil. 

"Nothing that smells like a girl" teased Josh as he smiled and showed his dimples. 

"OK, how about Cool Citrus Basil?" she asked grabbing a bottle she had picked   
up over the weekend. "Good thing I did drag you into Bath and Body Works, everything else I have smells like a girl" she teased. She and Josh had gone to the mall and she had to drag him into the store. He was amazed at all the body care products that were apparently very important to the average woman. Donna had teased him that there was more to life than Irish Spring and Speed Stick. 

She opened the bottle and handed it to him to take a whiff. While he did so she reached back into the drawer, found out a scrunchie and pulled her hair back. 

"Not bad. I can live with it." 

"Good, now roll over" ordered Donna with a smile. 

She pulled back the covers and straddled his hips. His shoulders felt like steel under her fingers. 

"Owwww" cried Josh 

"Sorry, I don't see how you can even move your head from side to side, you are so tense." 

She spent the next 20 minutes loosening the knots in his neck, shoulders and back. His breathing had slowed and she could tell he was settling down. When she was sure he was sleep she climbed off of him and covered him up. He turned on his side facing her. The lines on his forehead had smoothed out and he looked almost peaceful in his sleep. With a quick kiss on the cheek Donna got up and padded into the living room. She glanced at the clock on the VCR. Miracle of miracles, Joshua Lyman was sound asleep at 9:45 PM. 

Donna curled up on the couch with the remote and spent the next 2 hours watching TV. She was starting to doze off when the sound of Josh's voice calling her brought her to her feet. 


	3. Worth the Wait 3

**Worth The Wait**

**by: Ginny**

**Pairing(s):** Josh/Donna  
**Rating:** TEEN  
**Disclaimer:** The usual.  
**Summary:** The waiting is over. Sequel to "One Step at a Time".  
**Feedback:** Greatly appreciated.  


* * *

Part 3 

She ran into the bedroom and found him in the middle of a nightmare. It had been weeks since his last one. He was curled up in a ball with his back against the headboard hugging his knees to his chest. He was sweating, crying and shivering. 

He didn't seem to notice when Donna sat down. She reached over to the chair next to the bed and grabbed the afghan that was hanging over the back of it. She wrapped it around his shoulders and pulled him into her arms. 

"Shhh, Josh, wake up. Honey, it's me, it's OK, you're safe" murmured Donna as she smoothed back his curls and wipe his tears. He woke up enough to realize what had happened but he didn't speak. His sad eyes spoke volumes to Donna. They sat with her holding him for a long time, neither one of them speaking. 

Finally he pulled away and reached for a tissue and the water. He wiped his face and took a drink. Donna hunted in his bag for a t-shirt and helped him pull it on over his head. They both settled down next to one another and she pulled the covers over both of them. 

"Donna, I love you" whispered Josh as he settled his head on her shoulder. 

"I love you too, Josh. Now go back to sleep, I'm not going anywhere" she murmured as she kissed his forehead. 

Five o'clock came much too soon and the alarm blared out. Josh went back to his place to shower and change. He had been quiet before he left. Neither one of them mentioned the nightmare. It was like if they didn't bring it up maybe it wouldn't happen again. Not a likely scenario but one they seemed to cling to anyway. 

Donna beat Josh to the office. She glanced out his window until she saw his car pull up. Then she got a cup of coffee and a muffin for him. He was cool and a little distant. She tried her best to understand. She could only imagine what was going through his mind. She decided to be strictly business until she got a sense of how the day was going to progress. She went in with his schedule and her own cup of coffee. 

"You have senior staff in 10 minutes. Leo has time for you after that. You have lunch with Dr. Collins and some phone calls in the afternoon." she stated without much emotion. 

"OK. Relax, I'm fine. I'm just glad I decided to stay last night. Waking up from a nightmare alone really sucks. I'm glad you were there to help me. Don't worry about me." pleaded Josh. "OK" 

Before Donna got up to leave she kissed the tip of her thumb, across the desk Josh did the same. He reached over to touch his thumb to her thumb. They smiled, she got up and they both went to work. 

The day got more hectic as it went on. The Senior Staff meeting went on and on. Josh barely finished talking to Leo before he had to leave for his appointment with Dr. Collins. 

Eager to hear about his talk with Leo, Donna walked him out to his car. He said the meeting had gone well. He informed Leo that his suspicions were right on target. Leo warned him to be discreet. He also told Josh he was happy for the both of them. They both shared a sigh of relief. They also decided not to start telling the entire staff just yet. Something about the sneaking around made the whole situation more exciting. Josh blew a kiss to her as he drove away. 

The rest of the day flew by at an amazing rate. Josh was much less withdrawn than he usually was after a therapy session. They were back to their normal bantering by late afternoon. No plans for the evening had been made yet. It didn't look as though they were going to get out at a reasonable hour. Senior Staff didn't start the last meeting of the week until well after 6:00. Donna had promised Josh she would wait for him. After she had finished up her own work she went and sat at his desk for a while. She spread some papers out in front of her to make it look like she actually had a reason to be sitting in there. By 8:00 she decided to leave. She left a note on his desk in a sealed envelope asking him to meet her at her apartment when he was done. 


	4. Worth the Wait 4

**Worth The Wait**

**by: Ginny**

**Pairing(s):** Josh/Donna  
**Rating:** TEEN  
**Disclaimer:** The usual.  
**Summary:** The waiting is over. Sequel to "One Step at a Time".  
**Feedback:** Greatly appreciated.  


* * *

Part 4 

Josh was a little disappointed to to find Donna had already gone home. He couldn't blame her, it was almost 9:00 by the time the meeting had ended. He called her at home. She didn't answer so he left a message telling her he would be there by 10:00. 

Donna was at that moment relaxing in a tub filled with Cool Citrus Basil bubbles. She smiled when she heard his voice on the phone. He sounded so much better than he had in days. 

Donna thought about their relationship. How long it had taken them to get this far. She was so in love that she wanted to shout it from the top of the Washington Monument. But she was sure Leo wouldn't approve of that idea. She mulled over their decision to wait to sleep together. At first it seemed like a good idea, not wanting to rush things. But now as she relaxed in the tub she thought to herself, the waiting is over. 

Josh arrived just before 10:00 carrying flowers. Donna was dressed in a pajama top of his that went with pants she had put on the bed for him. She took the flowers and put them in water while Josh threw his stuff in the bedroom. He changed into the pants and a t-shirt. When he came out of the bathroom she was in the kitchen putting on water for tea. He came up behind her and left a trail of kisses from her ear down to her shoulder. She turned around and kissed him deeply. When they came up for air the stood quietly, foreheads touching. They both had the same thing on their mind. And it certainly wasn't the tea kettle. 

Josh reached behind Donna and turned off the stove. He took her by the hand and led her down the hallway towards the bedroom. She sat down crossed legged on the bed and motioned for him to do the same. They sat holding hands looking at each other as if to say "ready or not" 

Josh took a deep breath, dropped her hands and went to turn out the light. She lit a candle that was on the table next to the bed. He sat back down and she reached over to lift his chin up. She looked into his eyes and smiled. 

"Joshua, are you sure?" she whispered. 

"Yes, I'm sure" he replied, his voice sounding a full octave lower than usual. 

She reached over and pulled his shirt over his head. Pushing him back down on the bed she stretched out next to him and ran a finger along the surgical scar. She heard him let out a small moan as she bent to drop a kiss on the other scar. 

He pulled her up to lay next to him and kissed her. As their kisses grew more passionate he slowly undid the buttons of her shirt. She unwrapped her arms from around him just long enough for him to push the flannel top off of her shoulders. He drew in a quick breath as she lay next to him, wearing only a pair of pale blue panties. 

She quickly eased out of them. While she was taking them off Josh quickly got rid of his pajama pants too. He rolled over on top of her and suddenly stopped. 

"Donna, do we need to worry about...?" 

"No" came her reply as she wrapped her arms and legs around him. 

He kissed her gently on the lips and worked his way down her body. She then returned the favor. 

Their passion grew to a fevered pitch that neither had really ever experienced before. Their love making was both passionate and gentle. It was everything they could have hoped for, and more. When it was over they curled up in each others arms, a tangle of limbs, blankets and Donna's long blond hair. It was, to quote a much used phrase, like coming home. 

Around 2 in the morning Josh woke up but not from a nightmare. He looked at Donna curled up next to him, smiled and thought to himself, "after all the years and all the turmoil this has certainly been worth the wait." 

He leaned over to the table and blew out the candle. 

"I love you" he whispered as he pulled up the covers and wrapped his arms around Donna. 

THE END 


End file.
